Tell Him I Love Him
by Talking Without Speaking
Summary: Ron has loved Hermione forever, but never had the courage to admit it. When Hermione gets sick, does he realize he needs to tell her?


Author's Note: Sorry if this bears any resemblance to A Walk To Remember, any similarities are unintentional and not meant to be offensive. My first attempt at a romance/angst, please R and R! Also, wherever the words are seperated.like.this, it means there was an ellipses (.) there.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters displayed here, they are the work of brilliant writing mastermind J.K. Rowling.yada yada, you know the deal.  
  
Ron Weasley had loved Hermione Granger since the day he met her. Not liked, but loved. He'd never told anyone, not even his best friend, Harry Potter.  
Harry, Hermione, and Ron had gone through their Hogwarts years together, always friends. Ron had gone back to the Burrow, Hermione was with her parents, and Harry was living with his godfather Sirius, who had been given a full pardon of the crimes he had been previously accused of. Everything seemed perfect.  
Until that one fateful day when Harry was nineteen. He and Sirius had just finished lunch, and Sirius was clearing away the dishes when the phone rang.  
"Harry, would you get that?" asked Sirius.  
"Sure," replied Harry, not knowing that this phone call would change his life.  
"Hello?" said Harry.  
"Harry? Is that you, Harry?" asked someone on the other line.  
"Yes, this is Harry Potter," Harry replied, confused.  
"Oh, Harry.this is Linda Granger, Hermione's mum?" said the woman.  
"Yes, hello, Dr. Granger," said Harry, remembering that Hermione's parents were both dentists.  
"Oh, really, Linda is fine," said Hermione's mum.  
"Alright," said Harry. "How are you?"  
  
"I'm fine," said Linda. "It's Hermione I'm calling about."  
Harry had not heard from Hermione since term ended. "How's she?" he asked.  
"Well.she's.not doing so well," admitted Mrs. Granger finally.  
"What's the matter?" asked Harry anxiously. True, he didn't like Hermione the way Ron did, but she was one of his best friends and he cared about her greatly.  
"She.she has.leukemia."  
"WHAT?" was Harry's first response. "Ha ha," he laughed weakly. "That's not very funny, you know."  
"It's not meant to be funny, Harry," Linda Granger said meaningfully. "It's true."  
Then it struck him. Hermione Granger, one of his best friends since knocking out that mountain troll in their first year, had leukemia. "Is.is there anything I can do?" he asked.  
"Yes." said Mrs. Granger. "Can you.owl Ron and tell him? I would, of course, but Hermione doesn't have an owl, and they aren't exactly common in Muggle London, you know."  
"Yes, of course, I understand. I'll do it right away," replied Harry.  
"Thank you, Harry." At this point, Mrs. Granger sounded as though she was going to cry. "She.she's in St. Mungo's, if you want to go see her." she added awkwardly.  
"Yes, of course, I will," said Harry. "See you later."  
"Goodbye, Harry," said Mrs. Granger, and then she hung up.  
"Who was that?" called Sirius from the kitchen.  
"Hermione's mum," replied Harry.  
"Oh, how's she? How's Hermione?" Sirius asked.  
"She's fine.but Hermione's not so good," said Harry with a lump in his throat.  
"Really?" asked Sirius, putting down the pan he was washing.  
"Yeah." said Harry. "She.has leukemia."  
"No, Harry, don't joke about that, it's not funny," said Sirius with a pained expression on his face.  
"That's what I said too," said Harry, "but I'm not joking. It's true."  
"Is she in St. Mungo's?" asked Sirius. "Let's go this afternoon, alright?"  
"That'd be good," said Harry.  
Harry ran upstairs to his bedroom and began to write a letter to Ron. Dear Ron, he wrote,  
There's something you need to know. Hermione's sick, really sick. She has leukemia, Ron. Her mum and I just got off the phone. She said she's in St. Mungo's, and Sirius and I are going to visit her this afternoon. I thought maybe you'd like to come along, you know, seeing as though you're one of her best friends. Hopefully Hedwig gets this to you in time for you to read it. Don't bother replying, Sirius and I will be at your house at three o'clock this afternoon. We'll use Floo powder, I think, Apparating into the street might not be such a grand idea. See you soon, Harry  
Harry finished the letter and sent it off with Hedwig. He sat in his room, thinking. Remembering all the days he, Hermione, and Ron had shared at Hogwarts. Finding suspicious things, going on adventures, getting in trouble.he felt that he had known them all his life. For a while he remembered, becoming nostalgic about his life at Hogwarts. But soon his thoughts were interrupted by Sirius calling up the stairs.  
"Harry? Are you ready?" he heard Sirius ask.  
"Er, yeah, I am," said Harry. "I'll be right down."  
He crossed his room to leave, but a picture on his desk caught his eye. It was from his photo album. His, Ron's, and Hermione's smiling faces looked up at him. It was the picture Sirius had taken on their last day at Hogwarts. Harry felt tears fill his eyes, and again he heard Sirius call.  
"Harry? Come on, we need to get going."  
"Sorry," called Harry. "Coming!" he said, wiping his eyes. When he got downstairs, Sirius was waiting by the fireplace. "Is it okay if we pick Ron up?" asked Harry. "I owled him and asked him if he wanted to go."  
"Sure," replied Sirius. "Let's go."  
Harry stepped into the fireplace, grabbed a handful of ashes, and yelled, "The Burrow!" Suddenly, he appeared in the fireplace in the Burrow, and Sirius was not far behind.  
Ron was waiting in the living room. "Got your owl, Harry. I'm ready," he said.  
Harry noticed that Ron had been crying, too. It didn't surprise him, for Harry suspected that Ron had had a crush on Hermione ever since their first year.  
Harry stepped into the fireplace again, grabbed a handful of ashes, and cried out, "Saint Mungo's!" He reappeared ten seconds later in the fireplace in the lobby of St. Mungo's. Ron, then Sirius, appeared behind him.  
Sirius walked up to the witch at the front desk and said, "We're here to see Hermione Granger?"  
"Yes," said the Welcome Witch. "Let's see, you want 'Terminal Illnesses', floor seven. She's in room, let's see, 708."  
Ron looked disgusted. "Terminal illnesses, really," he said to Harry as they rode the lift up. "I'd be surprised if Hermione doesn't recover within a week, knowing her!"  
Harry laughed. It felt good to laugh, after all the crying he had done earlier.  
Soon they reached Hermione's floor. "The Welcome Witch said room 708, right?" asked Ron.  
"That's what I thought," said Harry. "Why?"  
"Well, here's room 708," explained Ron, "but look inside."  
Harry took a peek inside and saw a pale, almost lifeless girl lying in a bed hooked up to many machines. "R-Ron." he stammered.  
"Harry," said Ron. "That's not.not our Hermione, is it?"  
"Yes," said Sirius. "That's Hermione, look at the door sign."  
The sign read "Hermione Granger, leukemia." Harry could see that Ron was holding back tears.  
"Harry? Sirius?" Ron asked. "You two go on ahead. I- I don't think I can go in there."  
"Come on, Ron, yes you can. You know it's hard on all of us to see Hermione like that, but she needs our support, Ron, she needs us!"  
"All.alright, Harry, but I'm not so sure," said Ron shakily.  
"Sure you can, Ron. Do it for Hermione."  
Ron heard these words and straightened up. He would do it for Hermione.  
  
Weeks passed and Hermione started to recover. It seemed the remedies were working, and she would soon be allowed to go home. Of course, remission wouldn't come for five more years, but she could live a normal life unless her cancer came back.  
Soon the day arrived where Hermione was allowed to go home. Ron, Harry, and Sirius were at her house to greet her when she arrived.  
"Hermione!" exclaimed Ron when she came in the door. "I'm- we're so glad you're better!"  
"Well, I'm not fully recovered yet, but thanks, Ron," replied Hermione, smiling.  
"We've brought some food," said Sirius. "We thought you should have a 'Welcome Home' party!"  
  
"Oh, thank you so much," said Hermione, "but I'm quite tired, actually, would you mind if I laid down for a bit?"  
  
"Of.of course not, dear," said Hermione's father.  
"I'll take you in the bedroom," volunteered Ron, a little too quickly.  
Harry raised his eyebrows at him, and Ron rolled his eyes.  
Ron helped Hermione up the stairs and into her bedroom. She sat on the bed and he moved to leave the room. "R- Ron?" Hermione said quietly.  
"Yes, Hermione?" Ron replied, his heart quickening.  
"There.there's something I need to tell you, Ron," Hermione said awkwardly.  
"Well, Hermione, there's something I need to tell you, actually."  
"I.I really-" Hermione started, and at that point, Harry burst into the room.  
"Come on, Ron, we're- sorry, did I interrupt something?" Harry said, smirking.  
"Oh, stuff it, Harry," said Ron, throwing one of Hermione's pillows at him.  
"Well, anyway, Ron, Sirius and I are going to go, which probably means you are too, unless you are fancying to take the Knight Bus home," said Harry.  
"No thanks on the Knight Bus, mate, I've had enough of that," replied Ron. Harry smiled and Hermione even managed a little chuckle.  
"Well, we'd best be going now, Hermione," said Ron. "Bye, see you later!"  
  
"Yes, see you both later," said Hermione.  
"Well what was that all about, Ronnie? Hermione and you having a tender moment?"  
  
"I said, stuff it, Harry! It was nothing. She just said she had something to tell me, but, thanks to you, never got to say it!"  
"Sorry, sorry." said Harry. "Touchy!"  
  
Now it had been almost five months since Harry had gotten that awful phone call. Hermione had her lapses of bad and good, but was slowly on the uptake.  
The next day, the phone rang early in the morning. "Hello?" answered Harry groggily.  
"Oh, good, Harry, it's you. This is David Granger, Hermione's father?" said a male voice.  
  
"Oh no, déjà vu.said Harry.  
"Yes, well, I'm afraid Hermione has taken a turn for the worse," he said sadly.  
"No, no!" exclaimed Harry.  
"Yes, I'm.I'm afraid we may lose her," said Mr. Granger, crying.  
"No.it can't be possible.not Hermione, no!"  
"Yes."  
Harry hung up. He was utterly terrified and miserable at the same time.  
"SIRIUS!" he yelled. "GET UP!!"  
  
"What's the big rush?" asked Sirius sleepily.  
"Come on, we need to go to St. Mungo's! Hermione's taken a turn for the worse! They're.they're afraid she might.die, Sirius!"  
"Oh, no, come on, Harry, let's go!" Harry and Sirius quickly pulled on some clothes.  
"We need to stop at the Burrow," said Harry. "Ron.Ron needs to know."  
"Yes, yes," said Sirius. "Of course."  
  
When they arrived in the fireplace at the Burrow, Harry started yelling. Who cared if it was 6:30 in the morning, who cared if no one was awake yet. Hermione was slowly leaving.leaving forever.  
"RON! SOMEONE! WAKE UP! COME ON, RON! HERMIONE'S SICK AGAIN!"  
  
Ron bolted out of his room. "She.she's sick again?" he asked.  
"Yeah, they're.they're afraid she might die." said Harry, choking back tears.  
At this point Mrs. Weasley came out of her bedroom. "What in Merlin's name is going on here, Ronald?"  
"Don't really have the time to explain, Mum. Harry? Harry?"  
But Harry had already vanished into the fireplace.  
"Hermione's dying, Molly," said Sirius. And those two words made Ron realize how serious this really was. Hermione was leaving him- forever.  
Ron dashed to the fireplace, but the fire was out. "No, no! I don't have time for this!" He rushed to stoke another fire, and as soon as the flames appeared, he grabbed the Floo powder and called out "St. Mungo's!" and vanished. Sirius followed.  
By this time, Harry was in Hermione's room. "Hermione!" he called, but he could see that she was leaving already.  
"Harry, where's Ron?" she asked, sounding like she was tired.  
"I don't know, Hermione, he's coming, he's coming, hold on, you can make it, you know you can."  
"No, Harry, listen. This is my time. Mum? Dad? I love you, and you've given me more than you can ever imagine. I will always love you, forever and ever." By this time Harry was sobbing uncontrollably.  
"Harry? You're the greatest friend I could ever hope for, and I'll always remember you, Harry, I'll always be there for you, always."  
Hermione's parents were beside themselves with grief.  
"And Harry.tell.tell Ron.tell him I love him."  
And she sighed, her eyes closed, and she was gone.  
Ron dashed into the room. "Hermione! No, Hermione!"  
  
"She's gone, Ron," said Harry, crying.  
"No.no, she can't be," said Ron, sobbing.  
"She is, Ron. But she said something to you. She told me to tell you.to tell you she loves you."  
Ron kneeled down by Hermione's bed, put his head on her chest, and sobbed. Hermione, the only girl he'd ever really loved, was gone. Gone. 


End file.
